1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates generally to electrophotographic imaging devices such as a printer or multifunction device having printing capability, and in particular to shutter assemblies used to open and close toner ports on toner containers.
2. Description of the Related Art
In toner cartridge designs, it is now common practice to separate the longer lived components from those having a shorter life. This has led to having the longer lived developing components such as developer rolls, toner adder rolls, doctor blades, photoconductive drums, cleaning and charge rollers and waste bins to be in separate assemblies from toner cartridges. Toner supply, which is consumed relatively quickly in comparison to the previously described components, is provided in a reservoir in a separate toner cartridge that mates with a developer unit including a developer roll, a toner adder roll, a doctor blade, and a toner sump. Because both the developer unit and toner cartridge are each separable and removable from the imaging devices, both have used shutter assemblies to open and close their respective toner entry and toner exit ports.
The shutters seal the ports of the toner cartridge and the developer unit when the toner cartridge is not inserted in the imaging device. When the toner cartridge mates with the developer unit upon insertion into the imaging device, the shutters open to allow toner from the toner cartridge to pass through its exit port and enter the through the entry port of the developer unit and into the toner sump. The toner exit and entry ports remain in sealing engagement with each other while the toner cartridge remains inserted in the imaging device to prevent toner from escaping.
Typically, the developer unit is initially filled with toner. When the imaging device is shipped from one location to another with the toner cartridge installed therein, the shutters of both the toner cartridge and the developer unit shutter are kept open. During shipping, the ports may jostle against each other and open gaps that may create passageways for toner to escape from the developer unit. If this occurs, toner may be spilled inside the imaging device. Spilled toner may detract from the appearance of the imaging device and, in some cases, may affect some functions of the imaging device compromising overall performance and potentially causing print defects.
In some practices, toner cartridges are left out of imaging devices during shipment to prevent toner leaks. However, this approach requires increasing box sizes which not only increases packaging cost but also shipping cost.
When shipping toner cartridges inside imaging devices, some approaches used to prevent toner leak problems include using shipping separators such as removable plugs, seals, foams, and/or tape. These methods, however, may have drawbacks in terms of reliability and cost. For example, the removable plugs, seals, and/or foams can be subject to assembly variation upon installation especially when performed by human operators which may still result in some level of toner leak. In addition, improper removal of the plugs, seals, and/or foams upon first use may cause problems when the imaging device is operated. Even further, these items are costly but are generally thrown away when the imaging device is first opened. When reshipping the imaging device to another location, these items are not always replaced or repackaged, thereby rendering the imaging device prone to toner leak and toner spill problems during subsequent shipments.
Based upon the foregoing, there is a need for a more sustainable practice and a lower cost solution for preventing toner contamination within an imaging device during shipment.